


Raph meets his soulmate: A Christmas story

by KerryAnne



Series: Amanda and Raphael's story [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003)
Genre: Affection, Christmas, Christmas Tree, Cold, F/M, Family, Fatherly Love, Fluff, Hot Cocoa, Hugs, Love, Memories, Presents, Snow, Snowman, Soulmates, Winter, decorations, happiness, santa, snow ball fighting, turtletots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 07:29:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5530991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KerryAnne/pseuds/KerryAnne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raph and Amanda meet as kids one Christmas, but the soulmates don't remember it. A flashback to Raphael's third Christmas and Amanda's fourth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Raph meets his soulmate: A Christmas story

Merry Christmas, everyone, and thank you so much for following my stories and all the comments :)

Leo is four  
Raph is 3  
Don is 2  
Mikey is 1  
Amanda is 4

On a cold and snowy Christmas Eve in New York in 2003, Goran Petrovic was on the way home from a business meeting, when he dropped his wallet next to a sewer grate. Bending down to get it, he noticed golden eyes peering at him. “Why hello there,” he said. The figure shrank back and Goran inched closer and said, “I mean no trouble. I’m just getting my wallet.” The figure gained confidence and stepped forward. Goran gasped in amazement at what he saw. A little emerald skinned turtle with a red bandanna and the most brilliant eyes he’d ever seen. “I’m Goran,” he said. “What’s your name, little fellow? You are a boy, aren’t you?”  
“Raphie,” the little turtle said. “Snow.”  
“Yes, it’s snowing. You must be cold. The sewers is no place for you. Come home with me.” The turtle stared at him shyly, but made no attempt to move. “My home’s lovely and warm. And I have presents and food.”  
“Pwesents.”  
“Yes, yes. And I have three daughters you can play with.”  
“Santa?”  
Goran laughed. “Yes. He’ll be there.”  
Raph was sold with that last statement and lifted up his arms. Goran helped him climb out, picked up his wallet, lifted Raph up into his strong arms and pressed him against his chest, wrapping his coat snugly around him. The little turtle tot felt safe and secure and fell asleep as Goran continued his journey home.

Ten minutes later, a very anxious Splinter appeared, sniffing the air, hoping to find his son. Smelling Raph’s scent, he frowned. My son was here. Where can he have gone? Splinter took a risk and climbed out of the grate. Sniffing around, he was upset to find that Raph’s trail went cold. The boy was gone and he’d have to tell his brothers the very distressing news. Blinking back tears, Splinter went back down into the sewers and told his other three sons what had happened. Shredding tears, Leo said, “I want Raphie, Daddy.”  
“I know, Leonardo. I will try to find him.”

“Raphie,” Don said, starting to sob. “Raphie.” The baby, Mikey, said nothing and merely cooed, as he was rocked by his loving father. Splinter had put up a tree he’d found in the rubbish dump, along with ornaments he’d made and found. He’d even put presents under the tree for his treasured adopted sons, but he didn’t feel like celebrating anymore. His son was missing and he was heartbroken. He put his sons to bed and sang to them. Their little bodies worn-out from the excitement of the day, they were soon asleep and Splinter went to his bedroom. Sitting down on his bed, he thought, please let Raphael come home safe and sound. We need and love him very much. And his bothers miss him dreadfully.

Meanwhile Goran had arrived home to find his wife, Jelena, in the lounge, wrapping gifts. “Hi, honey,” he said, kissing her cheek.  
“Hi. You’re late.”  
“Meeting went overtime.”

Raph squirmed against him, begging to be put down. Goran complied and Raph stared wide-eyed at his new surroundings. “Twee,” he said, running to the beautifully decorated Christmas tree with all of its ornaments and a shiny golden star on top, and hugging it. Then he spotted the presents. “Oh,” he said, sitting down and starting to unwrap one.  
“What the hell is that?” a horrified Jelena said. “It looks like something out of a scary movie.”  
“It…He’s a turtle,” Goran said. “I found him in the sewers. He looked cold and hungry, so I brought him home.”  
“But he’s probably smelly and slimy and look at what he’s doing. I just wrapped those. You, stop it,” Jelena said, raising her voice. 

The present was a Barbie doll. Raph shook it, rocked it. Then losing interest, he tossed it aside and moved on to the next present, ignoring Jelena. Incensed, she got up and grabbed him by the arm. “Listen, you little freak, that’s for my daughter! Get rid of him, Goran. This instant.”  
Raph started to cry and Goran picked him up and soothed him. “I will not. He’s a little boy, Jelena. Show some compassion. Besides, it’s Christmas and we have more than enough presents for him, too.”  
“He’s a reptile, Goran! What if he contaminates our daughters? You know they carry salmonella.”  
“You’re being crazy, honey. He was excited. I bet he’s never seen so many presents before. Let’s give him a wonderful Christmas and maybe we can raise him as our own.”  
“What?” Jelena said in shock. “Me have a turtle for a son? You’re the insane one. No! This creature can stay tonight, but tomorrow it goes or I’m going. Dinner will be ready in forty minutes.” Stalking out, Jelena flounced upstairs to her room.

Goran sighed and said, “Raphie, bath time and then something to eat.”  
“Wanna pwesent,” Raph muttered, gripping the present he was holding.  
“After bath, little man.” Goran set the toy on the ground and picked up Raph. Taking him into the bath room, he ran a bath and helped the little boy into it. Raph began to play, splashing the water onto Goran. He chuckled and said, “You’re a sweet little boy, aren’t you, Raphie? I had a son once. He died last year at the age of seven. His name was Jacob. I miss him so much.” Goran’s eyes clouded, as he thought of his son. “Would you like to stay with me, Raphie? You can be my little boy and have all the toys you want.”  
“Toys,” Raph echoed, splashing more water and giggling. Goran chuckled and helped Raph wash himself. Then he towel dried him and took him to Jacob’s room, which had been untouched since his death. Goran dressed Raph in Batman pajamas and carried him downstairs to the lounge.

Goran’s two oldest daughters were watching TV. “What’s that, Daddy?” nine-year-old Katya said, pointing at Raph.  
“It’s a turtle, you twit,” self-appointed know-it-all, fourteen-year-old Olga said. “What’s it doing here, Dad?”

"He was cold and hungry,” Goran said, putting Raph down in front of the TV. “So I brought him home. Be nice to your sister, Olga.”  
“But, Dad, what if it has diseases?”  
“He doesn’t and is a little boy, who needs love. We can give it to him.”  
“Ugh,” Olga said, wrinkling her nose. “Count me out. I hate reptiles.”

“I think he’s cute,” Katya said. “In a creepy way.”

“Oh,” Raph said, pointing at the TV and laughing at Wiley E. Coyote, as he fell off the cliff. “That funny,” he said, clapping his hands.  
“I’m going to my room,” Olga announced. “I’m not spending time with a creature that should be locked up at the zoo.”

“He’s your new brother,” Goran said.  
“What?” Olga said. “You want to replace Jacob with that? Dad, you’re fucking nuts and I won’t accept him. NEVER.” Olga stormed up the stairs to her room, slamming the door.

Katya copied her sister with whatever she did and said, “Me, too. I don’t want a stinky creature for a brother.” Running upstairs, she too, banged her door.

“Just me and you, buddy,” Goran said, bending down and hugging Raph. Goran placed a call and said, “Bruce? I want you to ship lots of toys for a three-year-old boy to my house tonight. Yes, I know it’s Christmas Eve and seven p.m., but do it. I’ll pay you treble of what the toys cost. Great. I want it within two hours. I’ll let you choose the toys, but do it. Thanks.”

Jelena entered the room fifteen minutes later and said, “Dinner’s about to be served, Goran.”  
“Are we celebrating Christmas the Serbian way this year?”  
“No. You know our kids are Westernized. That’s the way I prefer it and that’s the way it’ll always be. Where are the girls?”  
“Upstairs.”  
“I’ll get them. You seat that thing at the table.”

Goran picked Raph up, took him to the dining room and seated him at the table. Raph gawked at the amount of food. He’d never seen so much in his short life. There were dozens of platters of cheeses, meats, breads and salads. He picked up a piece of cheese and began to chew. “No,” a pretty little blonde girl sitting next to him, said. “You have to wait until Grace is said. Daddy, what is that?”

“His name is Raphie,” Goran said. “And he’s your little brother.”  
“Why’s he green?”

Raph stared at the little girl. She stared back, unafraid, and said, “I’m Amanda.”  
“Raphie.”  
“Why are you green?”  
“Turtle.”  
“Daddy, what’s a turtle?”

Goran didn’t have time to answer, because his wife and daughters entered the room. When they were seated, the family held hands as Goran said Grace. Amanda held Raph’s hand and he looked at her shyly, mesmerized by her and her emerald eyes. After Grace, the family tucked in. Goran dished up for Raph and he ate quickly, making smacking sounds. “Ugh,” Olga said. “What a pig. Look at the way he eats.”  
“Your brother’s probably never seen so much food,” Goran said. “Show some compassion, Olga.”  
“Compassion? He’s disgusting and he’s not my brother!”

Jelena nodded. “He has terrible table manners, Goran.”  
"He’s probably only three, Jelena. Be patient. He’ll learn manners.”

“I think he’s funny,” Amanda said, and laughed. “Raphie, slow down. There’s lots of food.”  
Raph shovelled more food into his mouth and chewed, while stealing glances at the little girl. He didn’t know much about life, but he had a feeling that they’d be friends.

After dinner and a dessert of chocolate mousse, which Raph proceeded to get on his snout, as he licked the bowl clean, sending Amanda into a fit of giggles and causing Jelena and her two eldest daughters to scowl, Goran washed Raph’s face with a cloth and took Raph and Amanda to the front porch to leave out milk and cookies for Santa. Then Goran took the kids to bed and read them Twas the night before Christmas. The kids were asleep before Goran had finished the story, snuggled up next to one another. Goran smiled and kissed them on their foreheads. Then he shut the door and went down to the lounge.

“The kids are tucked in, Jelena,” Goran said, sitting down next to his wife on the couch. “Amanda really likes Raphie, so I let them share her bed.”  
“What if he makes her sick?” Jelena said, wrinkling her nose. “Or tries anything.”  
“He’s a kid, honey. So is she. I see no harm in letting them share her room.”  
“If anything happens, it’s YOUR fault,” Jelena humphed, turning her attention to the news.

At ten, the doorbell went. Goran opened it to find Bruce with tons of beautifully wrapped presents in large bags. “I wrapped a lot. Rest you’ll have to do, boss,” Bruce said. “Because my wife’s bitching at me to get home.”  
“Thanks, Bruce.” Goran wrote out a check and handed it to him. “Treble what they cost.”  
“Thanks, boss. Merry Christmas.”  
“And the same to you and your family.”  
“Boss, wait. You have a little boy?”  
“Yes, a little angel named Raphie. I believe it’s short for Raphael. I’ll introduce you sometime.”  
“That’s wonderful. I hope he brings you much joy.”  
“He already does.”

After Bruce had left, Goran wrapped the presents and placed them all under the tree. Then he went to his bedroom. Climbing into bed, he curled up next to his wife and was soon asleep.

The next morning, at six, Amanda woke up, shrieking, “Christmas! Wake up!” Raph woke up, too and stared at her sleepily. She grabbed his hand and said, “Get up. Santa’s come. Downstairs. Come. Mommy! Daddy!”  
“Pwesents?” Raph asked.  
Amanda nodded. “Come.”

The kids sprinted downstairs, nearly tripping in their haste to get to the presents. Amanda’s shouting had woken her sisters and parents and they arrived in the lounge, just as Amanda and Raph had ripped open two presents. “No, no,” Goran said, staring at the phone and hair dryer. “Those aren’t for you. Why don’t you let me play Santa and I’ll hand out the gifts.” He passed out gifts to the two youngest.

Tearing his wrapping paper, Raph’s face lit up when he saw a toy truck. “Twuck,” he said. “Goes vroom.”  
“Oh. That’s nice, Raphie,” Amanda said, looking up from a doll. “Can I see?”  
Raph nodded and showed her. “Goes vroom. Wanna play?”  
“Yeah.”

“We have more gifts to open,” Goran said, passing presents to everyone. Raph shrieked in delight at every present he opened and he soon had a massive pile in front of him. More than anyone else. Jelena noticed it and so did her two eldest daughters, who humphed in displeasure. Amanda was oblivious and was more interested in watching her new brother play with his presents than she was with hers. Dolls and tea sets no longer seemed fun to her and she said, “Can I play with your truck, Raphie?”  
“Yeah,” Raph said, and the two played together for the next twenty minutes while Goran prepared breakfast. The family usually had a butler named Novak and a cook named Michel, but both were on holiday so Jelena and her husband did the cooking. 

“The kids are getting on great,” Goran said, as he flipped pancakes at the stove.  
“For now,” Jelena said. “But remember that’s a beast. It’ll never be one of us. I don’t trust it, Goran. Mark, my words. If we don’t get rid of it now, it’ll violate our daughter.”  
“Relax. He’s a sweet, little boy and I think it’s terrific that Amanda has someone to play with us. She doesn’t have many friends. They’ll be good for one another. And what you said will never happen.”  
I disagree, Jelena thought. That kid has to go. Today.

After breakfast, Goran bundled the two youngest up and took them outside to the yard, which was nestled in a thick blanket of white, having snowed heavily the previous evening. The older two children opted to stay inside and watched in disgust as Amanda frolicked in the snow with the “beast.”  
Raph and Amanda giggled, as they built a snowman, using coal for eyes, a carrot for a nose, Goran’s scarf and pebbles for a mouth. “Great job,” Goran said, and smiled at the kids. “Let me take a photo of you. Hug each other. Yes, that’s it.” He snapped a few photos and then said, “Who wants a snowball fight?”  
“Me, Daddy!” Amanda shrieked.

The children tossed snowballs at Goran and each other and played happily. Goran couldn’t stop beaming. He had a new son and his youngest finally had a good friend. Amanda was known for being selfish and rude. But, Goran mused, Raphie seems to have brought out the good in Amanda. I’ve never seen her so happy and polite before. She’s like a new person. Raphie’s truly a gift from God and I’ll do all in my power to ensure he has a good life.

An hour later, Goran took them inside for hot cocoa and they played by the roaring fire. Goran snapped more photos of them and said, “You’re a gift from God, you know that, Raphie? You like your new sister, don’t you?”  
“Sister,” Raph said.  
“Yes. And I’m your Daddy.”  
“Daddy?”  
“Yes. You’re family, Raphie. Now and always.” Goran hugged and kissed the little boy.

“He’s my brother,” Amanda said, kissing Raph's cheek and hugging him. “Raphie’s my brother, Daddy.”  
“He is and you two will be fantastic friends for life.”

Meanwhile Splinter had gone looking for Raph again, but not finding him, he finally admitted defeat. He’d never see his precious son again and he had to accept it. I will miss him always, Splinter thought, tears running down his cheeks.

Later that day, Goran was extremely unhappy when he was called to an emergency meeting. Kissing Raph and Amanda goodbye, he said, “I’ll be back later. I love you both so much.”  
“Love you, Daddy,” Raph said. “Bye-bye.”

“Love you, Daddy,” Amanda said.

Jelena seized her opportunity. Asking Olga to keep Amanda occupied, she packed all of Raph’s toys into bags and dressed him in a snow suit. Then she took him to the car and drove to the sewer grate where Goran said he’d found him. She dropped the bags through the sewer grate. Then about to lift a now crying Raph through the grate, she heard a soft voice, “Who are you?”  
Jelena nearly dropped Raph in fright and said, “I could ask the same question.”  
“My name is Splinter and I believe you have my son.”  
“You mean this smelly turtle’s yours? Ugh. Take him.”  
Splinter jumped up through the manhole, startling her. “I was patrolling the sewers and I smelled you two, and yes, this beautiful boy is my son. Come here, Raphael,” he said, opening his arms.  
“You’re a rat?” Jelena, said, her jaw dropping.  
“I am. Now give me my son.” Jelena passed Raph to him and Splinter pressed him tightly against his chest. “How did you have him?” Jelena told him. “Thank you for looking after him, but I’ll take him. Merry Christmas and please do not speak of this to anyone.”  
“No one would believe me anyway. And I’m just glad to get rid of that creature. I don’t want him near my children, especially my youngest. Ugh. Goodbye!”

Splinter climbed back down the manhole and took the presents back to the lair. Distributing them among his four sons, he thought, Raphael’s home where he belongs. We are a whole family again. Life is good.

When Amanda discovered Raph was gone, she threw a tantrum, sulked for the next few days and refused to eat. She missed her friend dearly and spoke of him often. Over the next few months, she stopped speaking of him and he was soon a memory. As she grew older, even that was gone. She had no memories of him whatsoever, which pleased her mother. As Amanda grew into a stunning girl, Jelena was even more thrilled that she’d gotten rid of the turtle, having had a nasty feeling that something would grow between the girl and the creature. She’d seen sparks of it, the way they freely hugged one another, the way Amanda giggled at all he did, fascinated by him and likewise. It repulsed her. Yes, she’d done the right thing in getting rid of it.

Goran had been extremely upset when his wife admitted that she’d gotten rid of the turtle. They’d argued for days over it. Goran said he’d bring Raph back home, but his wife told him if he did, their marriage was over, so he didn’t. He left Raph back down in the sewers, but he never forgot about the little golden-eyed emerald skinned child. Every year, he opened the manhole, near where he’d found Raph, climbed down and left several bags of toys. He treasured the photos he had of Raph and his daughter and kept them in his wallet. He never stopped thinking about Raph, praying that he was okay and had a good life and hoping that someday he’d get to meet the angel, who’d brought him and his daughter so much happiness, again.

Raph had no memories of Amanda, Goran, or the rest of the family. On his fourteenth Christmas, Raph was wandering through the sewers, when he saw several bags. He didn’t need to open them, because he knew they were presents for him and from some mysterious person called Goran. He got them every Christmas and as the years passed, the toys became more advanced: a toy robot when he turned four, jigsaw puzzles when he turned ten, a laptop when he turned twelve, a science kit when he turned thirteen et cetera. He’d given the science kit to Don and he’d never kept all the gifts for himself, willingly sharing them with his three brothers. He opened a bag and took out an envelope. It had his name on it. Carefully opening it, he saw it was a Christmas card. It said, “Merry Christmas, my treasured son. I haven’t seen you in years, but I still love and miss you always. I suppose you now go by Raph or Raphael, but I will always think of you as the sweet, little angel Raphie, who brought such joy to me and my youngest daughter. Merry Christmas and Godbless you always. I hope you like your presents. Your loving father, Goran.” Enclosed was twenty Grand. It would feed Raph’s family for a long time and he’d give it to his father. He never kept any of the money either, although Splinter sometimes shared the money between the brothers. Raph would store it in his turtle bank, as he’d done from the age of seven, saving it for a rainy day. He hoped that someday he’d have a normal life and would be accepted by the human race. Maybe even meet a girl and have a family. Never gonna happen, Raph thought sadly. It’ll always be just me and my brothers. We’re freaks and hated by everyone. Why would a girl want me? I’m a genetic accident, a freak of nature. He’d often wondered who Goran was and had asked Splinter who said he had no idea. Next year, Raph resolved, as he lugged the bags home, I’m gonna leave Goran a note and tell him I wanna meet. Little did Raph know that less than six months later, he’d get his answers and be reunited with his childhood friend and soulmate.

**Author's Note:**

> Jelena will get her just desserts someday!


End file.
